Time-burning railway signal-fusee.



RDUTGHER. TIME BURNING RAILWAY SIGNAL FUSEE.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1912.

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Patented Mar. 17, 1914,

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.FRANK DII'ICHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGrNOR TO CENTRAL RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG NEW JERSEY.

,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or TIME-BURNIN G RAILWAYSIG'N-AIJ'FUSEE.

Specification oi Letters Patent. Patented 11 1914 Application filed May 28, 1912. Serial N 0. 700,257.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DU'rcHER, a citizen of the UnitedfStates, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Burn'ing Railway Signal-Fusees, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg.

This invention relates to improvements in time burning railway signal fusees, the general objects of which are improvements upon my Patent No. 999,102 dated July 25th 1911, whereby a time burning railway signal fusee is provided with means which (1) more certainly insure the lighting of the time burning fusee compound; (2) more certainly insures the prevention of the extinguishment of the fusee from shock after it is lighted; (3) more-certainly prevents injury to the lighting end of the fusee from shock as when thrown from a fast moving train, all of which are highly desirable features in a railway signal to insure certainty of the signal 'whcn necessity for its use arlses.

In the accompanylng drawings-Figu-re 1 is a side elevation of my improved fusee, the same being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end perspective view of the. crimped end of the fusee tube. Fig. 3 is a similar view partially in section, showing my improvement in position in the crimped end of the fusee tube. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view of a fusee with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 5 is. a detached perspective View of the-preferred type of my improved lighting member. Fig. (5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a slight modification of the lighting member. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of the modified lighting member. A

The general construction of a time burning railway signal fusee is well understood to those skilled in this art and a brief reference thereto will be suflic'ient to enable my improvement to be understood. I

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters denote like parts,- 1 is the fusee tube, which consists of a tough fiber constructed with the end in view of standing the shock when thrown from a fast moving train without being broken. In practice it is found that the tough fibertubes now used are-the most successful to stand the severe uses to which they are subjected without being broken. This cannot, however, be said of the lighting end of the fusee tube. It s necessary to close, or practically close, the lighting end of thetube 1, and various forms of which closure have been used. The form of closure here shown is the crimped in end 2 of the fusee tube, the crimped end having an opening 3. Y

Owmg to the necessity of a closure for the end of the fusee tube, it is necessary to provide means to carry the fire from the match composition usually used into the fusee compound. As is Well known in this art, the fusee tubes are-provided with a protecting cap 4, which protecting cap will carry a complementary match ingredient such'as phosphorus (not shown) which is used to strike the chlorate match material 5, slightly projecting beyond the end of'the fusee tube, which match composition is supposed to convey its fire either directly or by the intervention of a lighting member such, for instance, as shown in my'said patent. Inthe construction shown in my sald patent, when the lighting end of the -fusee strikes when thrown from a fast moving train, blow, the crimped end of the fusee tube is sometimes injured and opens up permitting the comparatively slow burning fusee compounditifo partially 'fall out and this sometimes carries with it the fire and thus extinguishes the fusee. As is well understood the fusee compound 6 is packed tightly within the tube 1 and in order to be a time signal must burn comparatively slow, thus allowing time for the fusee compound to fall out in the event of injury and carry with it the fire and extinguish th'e fusee. Especially is this true if, when thrown, it falls into a bank of snow, or a puddle of water, which often happens. It is also well known that these fusees must burn under water in order to meet therequirements' of railroads and the bureau for the sametransportation of explosives. Furthermore, the lighting member 7, of my said patent, being composed of wood is comparatively slow burning, although impregnated with saltpeter and lead nitrate. Wood so impregnated has an aflinity for moisture and this sometimes, under favorable conditions for it, interferes with the action of the lighting member.

A fusee of theconstruction in my patent or otherwise subjected to a severe end A volume of fire that will is an improvement over what preceded it in the manner set forth in the patent, and my present invention is to makean improved lighting member for time burning ra lway signal fusees which is more certain in its action than the lighting member of my said patent. I

My present improvement consists in making a lighting member which substantially and preferably completely-fills the end of the fusee and which is of such size, and of a quick burning compound as to make a large insure the lighting 'of the fusee compound, and to further insure the protection of the lighting end of the fusee under the severe shocks-it sometimes receives, and to insure theholding of this large volume of fire directly in contact with the comparatively slow burning tightly packed fusee compound.

In carrying out my present improved lighting member, I preferably use a short tubular section 7 as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. This short section 7 has a closure preferably in the form of a Wild 8, with a central opening 9. This wad of paper is preferably saturated with lead nitrate. In Fi 7, I show a modification of the closure or the lighting. section tube 7, which consists in crimping in the end as at 8. This lighting member section is filled with acomparatively quick burning. composition, consisting of perchlorate, a metal nitrate, charcoal, and shellac, all of which are mixed with denatured alcohol to make a plastic compound. The tube member section 7 is filled with this compound 10 and when it is filled a recess 11 is molded therein by a suitable projection on a holder (neither shown) which will'be readily understood. This recess 11 is of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the opening 9 in the wad 8, orthe opening 12, in the crimped end 8, and the recesses.

extend down nto the lighting compound 10. The match compound 5 is of a liquid nature when it is applied and is forced. into the recess 11, through the openings 3 and 9, and completely fills the recess 11 and projects outside to be scratched lwhen lighted.

Attention is directed to the fact that the opening in the crimped end of the fusee tube 1 is preferably smaller than the opening 9 in the. lighting member, which looks the match composition 5 therein. By reason of this construction a double wall is provided for the side and end of the fusee tube at its lighting end. This serves as a protection to receive the shock when the fusee is thrown from a rapidly moving train and found, in actual practice, to prevent the sifting out of the fusee compound under the most severe treatment. The match compound 5 is very quick burning and in a fiash burns within the lighting compound 10 and by reason of the relatively smaller opening 3, in the end of the fusee the fire is projected inwardly which insures instantly the lighting of the compound 10. This lighting compound 10 is also a relatively quick burning compound and is in the form of a red hot lava retained withirrthe end df'theifuseeby the said double walls before it is thrown by the hand of the trains.- man. When it is thrown from the hand of the trainsman, the projecting compound of the tube is so charred that it breaks oif, or

if the end does not strike, the fusee com-' pound- 6 burns it below the double wall and it is instantlyblown away by the force of the burning compound, for it is well known that these slow burning fusee compounds burn with force something like to a blowtorch, making a noise very similar thereto. The lighting compound 10 being retained within the end of the fusee temporarily by the double walls, its force of burning is necessarily projected inward in direct forcible contact wit-h the slow burning fusee compound 6 thus insuring its lightin v In manufacture'the lighting mem er 10 will preferably have the proper coloring chemical to give the lighting member the color which the signal compound will give, and owing to thesize of the lighting member 6, is of considerable volume.

So far as I am aware it is new in time burning railway signal fusees to provide a lighting member which'completely fills the end of the fusee tube to prevent the sifting out of the fusee compound when the end of thetube is injured; it is new to provide a lighting member which consists of a hardened plastic filling the end of the fusee tube; it is new to provide a lighting member inclosed within a wall, thus providing a dou ble wallfor the lighting end of the fusee and it is new to provide a lighting member with a recess to receive a match composition extending through and within the fusee tube; it is new to have this match compound receiving cavity larger in diameter than the opening in the closure of the fusee tube, sov

that the match compound is locked therein; and it is new to have the double wall for retaining the red hot lava of the lighting member within the fusee tube in direct contact withthe fusee compound, and in. such a manner that the burning of the lighting compound forcibly projects ,it into contact with 'the fusee-compound.

Tests of my improved time burning-railway signal fusee show that instantly after lighting the match compound, the fusee can be forcibly thrown lighting end downwardly without extinguishing it; can be instantly submerged in water without extinguishing 1t, and can instantly be forcibly thrown lighting .end foremost into a uddle of water, striking the surface un er the water forcibly without being extinguished.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the lighting compound is in substantially a plastic state by reason of its mixture in denatured alcohol so that when it hardens it is of a hardened plasticnature, which will stand severe usage and being of a very quick burning compound is found to perform its function in a very efficient manner. So far as I am aware, fusees with ,the lighting members heretofore used will not stand thete'sts above mentioned to which a fusee with my improved lighting member has successfully stood without being extinguished, or the nature of the compound changed to effect its proper burning. The lighting member is, in effect, a plug which fills the end of the tube and specifically is an elongated plug, and for convenience in claiming the invention, will be so referred to.

I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details, for these may be varied within certain limits, so far as the broad scope of the improvement is concerned and still be within the scope of mypresent improvement,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A time burning railway signal fusee,

comprising a tube, a relatively slow time burning fusee compound within the tube, a lighting member consisting of a plug fitting within thetube and substantially filling the lighting end of the tube, the tube having a closure outside of the lighting member, the lighting member and tube closure having communicating openings "and a match compound extending through the said openings into the lighting member. 2. A time burning railway signal fusee, comprising a tube havinga time burning signal compound therein, a lighting member consisting of a stopper placed in the lighting end of the tube, the tube having a closure extending over the lighting member, the lighting member having a recess and the tube closure having an opening smaller than the recess, and a match com und extending through the opening and, lling the recess for the purpose described;

3. A time burning railway signal fusee, comprising a tube, a time burning signal compound therein, a lighting compound within the lighting end of the tube, the lighting compound having an inclosing tube to form with the said fusee tube, a double Wall for the lighting end of the fusee for the purpose described.

4. A, time burning railway signal fusee, comprising a tube, a time burning signal compound therein, a fast burning lighting compound in the lighting end of the tube, the said compound inclosed within a tube having a'closure at its outer end, the fusee tube having a closure outside of the lighting compound closure, both of said closures having openings and the lightingcompound a recess, and a match compound extending from the outside of the fusee through the said opening and into the said recess, for the purpose described.

5. A time burning railway signal fusee, comprising a tube, atime burning signal compound therein, a lighting compound in the lighting end of the tube made in the form of a stopper, the compound being inclosed within a tube, having a closure at its outer end, a fusee tube having a closure, both of the closures having registering openings, the outer closure opening being smaller than the inner closure opening, the lighting compound having a recess of a size corresponding to the size of the opening in the lnner closure, and a match compound extending from the outside of the fusee tube through said openings and into the said lighting compound recess, for the purpose described.

6. A lighting member for time burning railway signal fusees, comprising a section of a tube, a quick burnin compound within the tube, and a closure for one end of the tube consisting of a Wad with an opening, said wad being impregnated with lead nitrate, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I FRANK DUTCHER.

Witnesses:

R. W. JUZNZKER, G. M. LEONARD. 

